Tip on waxing depower rope & why it works, with any type of solid wax.

Got my new depower line of the bar and soaked in melted candle wax. Works a treat. One of the reasons why it works & lasts longer is the wax fills the middle of the rope, so there is no space for single granules of sand to lodge.One grain of sand imbedded in the fibres of the rope will abrade the fine fibres of Dyneema under load over time. For this reason you should also not walk on your lines at the beach.( We learnt this in rock climbing, never stand on your ropes, same reason).After half a dozen sessions the outside fibres begin to show wear but it is the inside where it is being protected.

i had the first issue with my wainman kite recently and it was a valve delamination(as opposed to every other day with my norths)....upon taking the bladder out i realized the valves are stuck on the inside and the fabric on the outside around the valve area didnt seem as it would key to any glues so this is my tip for re-sticking the valves back on the inside rather then buying new or sending it off to a repair shop....

take the bladder out(obviously) , make a slit at the very end of the wing tip to create an opening, dont just cut it off.then pull the bladder through its self so its inside out.clean all old glue off both bladder and valve.glue both parts as usual if using contact adhesive and stick/clamp/weight let dry.turn bladder back to correct way out.apply glue to end covering equal amounts over slit/hole.fold over on itself so slit is totally coveredclamp/weight and let dry...job done

do not pump it up too much checking for leaks before refitting and when fitted twist glued end/tip a couple of times before folding it inside kites LE(just to be sure)

p.s this method is if you only have access to contact adhesive as it does what the name suggests..but if you have aqua seal or similar that takes time to go off you can just push the valve in the hole and ignore everything i wrote above!!

Tuck Tape! USA version is called Venture tape. Its a sheathing tape used in sealing vapour barrior on houses. This will fix all your canopy tears wether it be a pinhole or a complete blowout. I've seen completely destroyed kites mended together with this stuff and back on the water the next day jumping, looping, and crashing without fail. The canopy did have flutter to it but the repair was more than 15 feet of shred in several directions. I've used kitefix and had pro sewing jobs done but if you dont care about the look of the repair then its super cheap, lightweight, flexible, and WOW strong. If its just a temp repair you use this for, beware, it will stain your canopy red anywhere you apply it. Grab a roll for 10 bucks. Clean the area with alcohol. Just apply on the inside of the canopy and put pressure on the tape to secure the seal.

Valve repair anyone ???The Valve Trap by Airtime is the best way to fix a valve that has fallen off or is leaking!I just fixed my 12M kite (9mm fill valve) and was in the water in 20 min. later!I just pulled it through the zipper, fixed it and shoved it back in.I'm so happy I did not have to replace the whole bladder!

From a different post: Let me introduce the Valve Trap. The Valve Trap sandwiches a valve between two 4” diameter foam discs with a highly specialized adhesive that can tolerate plasticizers. The foam is soft enough to conform to any irregularities in the valve (think the ridges on the top of the valve base from the RF die) so it seals nicely. Also the valve has contact on double the surface area (top of valve base and bottom valve base). The Valve Trap then provides a 4” diameter base with a 'peel and stick' adhesive that will adhere to any bladder.

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